A Twist of Fate
by SirDragneel
Summary: Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia, two lovers reincarnated through time to protect humanity from the King of Apocalypse, Acnologia. But their fate is twisted, and Lucy always ends up giving her life. But this time, Natsu won't let that happen, whether Lucy knows who he is or not.
1. Things Like Fate

The battlefield had gone silent, nothing left but the wind blowing across the burned ground, stirring up ashes around the two in the middle of it.

Natsu was kneeling over Lucy, gripping her hand like a lifeline, unable to stop the tears that trailed down his cheeks as his eyes scanned over the fatal wounds.

"Lucy, please…" He mumbled between sobs, gripping her hand tighter "Dear God please don't leave me…"

The blonde beneath him smiled sadly eyes shining with emotion "Don't worry Natsu… there's always the next life…" She said softly, as the life left her body.

Natsu's eyes were wide with horror, as he felt soul-crushing deja vu wash over him. The next life? How many times had she died? Was she destined to die again and again?

"Lucy…" His strained voice whispered, brushing his fingertips against her cheek "I'll find you again and again… And one day… I'll save you. Even at the cost of my own existence." He promised, standing as her body shimmered, fading away.

Natsu picked up a knife from the body of a soldier's corpse "Wait for me, Lucy…" He said, before plunging the blade through his heart.

* * *

 **Present Day, Magnolia**

Lucy twirled her pencil as she stared at her notebook page, which should've been filled with notes, was filled with doodles. Doodles of fairies, wisps, dragons, shadows, and a sharp, heated glare.

She wasn't quite sure when she started seeing these things, just that it had been very recent, and she was very sure she was going crazy. A fairy even danced across her book as she thought of it, and Lucy shooed it away absentmindedly.

The eyes though… She had suddenly decided eyes as black as the abyss and as colorful as the rainbow all at once would be pretty hot, because she couldn't get the vision out of her head since her 17th birthday last month.

Relief flooded the teen as the final bell rang, so she could finally pack up her stuff and exit this hell hole, full of people who never understood her.

As she exited the building, and made her way towards home, she couldn't help but feel someone was following her. She felt the hair stand on end on the back of her neck as she waded through crowds of people.

Surely she was just being self conscious…

Best leave these problems for tomorrow, she decided.

* * *

It was around 3 A.M. when Lucy heard her doorbell ring. The poor girl was startled out of her sleep at the sound, and stared at her bedroom door, contemplating if she should go or not, as it might be a stalker… But something told her to at least go see.

She carefully slid out of bed, grabbing a baseball bat on the way, and crept to her front door, frowning at how the temperature seemed oddly warm, despite the fall weather outside her apartment.

Lucy stood on tiptoe to look through the peephole to see… A man with pink hair? He looked around her age, had a deep tan and a spray of freckles over his nose, and sharp onyx eyes staring over at the door.

He was handsome, to say the least ' _if not hot'_ A voice whispered in the back of her head, making her blush.

"Are you gonna sit there evaluating me all day or you gonna open the blasted door?" He finally snapped, pushing off of the wall he was leaning on, making Lucy gasp lightly.

"I-I have no clue who you are though!" She argued, and saw hurt flash across his face momentarily, before he regained his composure, and walked right up to the door.

"You don't." He stated "But I spent the last damn month searching for you, I'm not just gonna leave."

Lucy felt a tick of annoyance press against her forehead. He was certainly a stubborn one "How do I know you aren't the one who's been following me?" She accused, paying close attention to hi expression, as it morphed from agitation, shock, then concern.

"Someone's following you?" He whispered urgently, and Lucy heard a soft thud against her door as the stranger placed his palms firmly against it.

Lucy thought back to earlier, something about his tone telling her this was a real problem "I-I don't know, it was just a feeling-"

"Always trust your instinct." He cut her off "It's one of your greatest weapons."

' _Weapon? Why would she need that?'_

"Shit-LUCY BEHIND YOU!" He cried suddenly, and at first Lucy thought it was some kind of prank, but was glad she turned, as she barely managed to duck in time as a silver knife slashed at her.

She screamed in horror and scrambled to her feet, rushing to her bedroom, not getting a good look at her attacker as she slammed the door shut, locking it.

The shadows under the door began quivering, before sliding under the door, and bubbling into the figure of a shadowy person, wielding many knives.

Lucy was frozen in place from shock, not registering the being raising its spectral arm to attack again, and she slammed her eyes shut as the knives descended upon her.

Pain never came as someone was suddenly standing in front of her, shielding her. The man from before… But how did he get inside?

Lucy looked over to see the window above her bed opened, and was agitated at first, but decided not to hold it against him, as he was currently saving her life.

"Poor kid has been possessed by his shadow…" The guy in front of her said, almost sadly, before the area around him erupted in flames, which surprisingly didn't burn Lucy, and could she see the outline of horns and a tail on him?

The fire burned away the shadow, leaving a boy from Lucy's class, Rogue Cheney, a polite, soft-spoken boy, who wouldn't wish harm upon a butterfly.

"Wh-What… Who…?" She asked, bewildered, as she looked up at him, curiosity dancing in her eyes.

"I can't explain everything... But my name is Natsu Dragneel, and your fate and mine are intertwined." The man called Natsu said, picking up the boy and placing him outside her door carefully.

"Fate… I've never believed in things like that" Lucy murmur into the darkness.

"Good." Natsu said as he perched himself in her window, ready to leave "Because fate is a bitch." And with that he jumped down, disappearing into her night, leaving Lucy's head spinning.

' _What on Earth just happened…?'_


	2. He's a Dragon Boy

_A/N: Wow the responses to this really surprised me, I was sure it was awful XD But if you want to know which song inspired this fic, just binge on Fairy Tail opening 22 for a bit and there you have it. Also I'm a sucker for the "Love transcending the ages" tropes :P But I hope you like the twist I put on this one!_

* * *

Natsu didn't actually leave. No way in hell. He has scoured the entire continent just to find Lucy, and seeing her be the target of shadows? Yeah, he wasn't taking his eye off her for a second.

It kinda stung a bit hearing Lucy sound so hostile towards him, but he shouldn't have expected differently. He wasn't even supposed to know her, but somehow he had retained him memories. Memories of all one thousand, one hundred and eighty-seven past lives he'd had with her.

Worse than that, the memory of Lucy dying in his arms one thousand, one hundred and eighty-seven times.

He technically didn't remember until last month, as he turned 18, and he had woken up in the middle of the night in cold sweat and tears. Natsu had got up and got dressed, before fleeing in the middle of the night, not uttering a word to anyone.

Natsu knew if he told anyone, they may work try and make him forget again, and he wasn't risking that for anything. He searched high and low for the next month, searching for her familiar scent and magical power.

Lo and behold, here she was, doing very mundane things in Magnolia. But thank god he arrived on time, or Lucy may have kicked the bucket too soon.

Natsu had been sitting on her roof, napping for a good portion of the night, until he remembered he hadn't eaten for like, a week.

He groaned, sitting up as he saw the run rising. He pulled out his wallet, frowning. Not nearly enough to buy anything… He spent most of his money on just traveling he hadn't even thought of food.

But… Lucy had food. Heck, in the thousands of years he had known her, she _always_ had a fully stocked fridge. Well, at least when fridges were invented she did.

Natsu wriggled his way down the roof, before tactfully entering the blonde's apartment through the living room window, being careful not to wake her. He made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a bag of chips before settling on the counter, munching on his newfound potato snack.

The click of a door alerted him to Lucy entering the room, and he looked up to see her in a towel, fresh out of the shower.

Albeit, Natsu was used to seeing her stark naked on multiple occasions, he couldn't help the light blush that pooled in his cheeks.

"What are you doing in my house?!" Lucy screeched, throwing a pillow from the couch at him.

Natsu dodged the cushion, catching it with ease "Good to see things haven't changed" he snickered, despite the situation.

Lucy covered herself, gasping in horror "You perv-!"

"No, not physically" Natsu interrupted her, rolling his eyes as she jumped to conclusions "I mean you always freaking out… Just wanted some food, I'm starved" he continued nonchalantly, ignoring Lucy's look of confusion.

"Why are you talking like me and you are old friends?" She asked as she stepped in her room to change, the cracked door telling Natsu she was still listening.

He shrugged, leaning back as he dumped the remaining chips in his mouth "Well, we kinda are. We just haven't met yet, until now that is" he explained, trying not to give too much away.

"That…" Lucy started, exiting the room, now dressed in a typical Lucy, short skirt, V-neck tank top, and boots "Made no sense."

Natsu merely smiled innocently "That was the point, princess." He said, hopping off the counter to stand, walking to her "Either way, you'd best pack now, cuz we need to hightail it outta here"

The girl stared for a few moments before turning to grab her purse and leave "I have school." She stated firmly, making Natsu's jaw drop.

"Did you not SEE what attacked you last night?! More will be coming if we don't leave!" He argued, following after her. He had completely forgotten how stubborn this girl could be.

Lucy looked at him, raising a thin brow "Do you not know that I'll fail if I don't go to school?" She shot back, steady on her path to her school.

Natsu threw his hands up in exasperation, before sighing, deciding to let her be for now, and that maybe as more things came for her she'd understand that her staying here would put the other mortals in danger.

That was his oblivious queen alright.

* * *

Natsu hadn't seen so many magical creatures gather in one place all at once before. Never in a his lives. He just saw three unicorns trot across campus like they were in a sacred grove.

He stared, looking like the most dumbfounded person on Earth, which he probably was by this point. It had to be Lucy drawing these things here, but why? It was a bit early in this reincarnation for magic to start popping up left and right.

The peaceful setting of fairies and unicorns was dispersed as Natsu jolted at another presence. It wasn't like the sweet colorful magic he had felt earlier. It was a black magic.

A shadow.

And not just one. It was at least ten, if not more.

Because wherever there was a strong source of light, a shadow was always right there to follow it.

Natsu moved from his perch, to sniff out the source of the shadows, and found them congregating by an open window, which granted him a perfect view of the beautiful blonde sitting, and working on whatever school was having her do.

Screams were suddenly heard from the other side of the building, and Natsu contemplated staying by Lucy, but know it was his job to protect these mortals, and just imagine how much Lucy would chew him out for ignoring the cries of those in need.

Groaning, he turned, inwardly promising to return to Lucy's side as soon as he was done.

((LINE CUT))

Lucy hadn't heard the ruckus until apparently the carnage made it's way to her classroom. The story being told was that there was a kid shooting up the school, but when the 'kid' reached them, Lucy could see it was none other than the same type of shadow that had attacked her yesterday.

The being moved towards the girl, but froze at something, before shouts were heard from the hall of people screaming "He's burning the place down!"

' _Burn?'_

Her question was answered as Natsu leapt through the door, tackling the shadow to the floor. But he looked different than before. His arms were covered in scales up to the joint of his elbow, and instead of having human hands, they had been with claws that looked like they belonged to a dragon.

She noticed it was the same with his legs, not to mention the fact he had a scaly red tail waving behind him and flaming horns on his head.

Lucy gaped at the dramatic change in his appearance as he burst into flames, burning away the shadow and leaving a black-haired girl, which Lucy knew as Minerva.

"Wh-What happened to you?!" Lucy shrieked, pointing to the tail.

Natsu jolted back, covering an ear "Oww not so loud… The place is infested with shadows, and I had to get a little serious you know" He answered as if it were obvious, placing a clawed hand on his hip, looking annoyed.

"Why are there so many suddenly?!" Lucy cried, looking out the window, to see his earlier statement was true.

Natsu pursed his lips, as he joined her by the window, as if trying to find the right way to tell her that her grandma died.

Well joke was on him, she didn't have a grandma.

"How old are you?" He suddenly, and Lucy's jaw dropped at the inappropriately placed question

"Why do you…?" She sighed, knowing if it was him, he would still demand an answer "I turned 17 last month."

His gaze narrowed, as her zero'd in on her face "chances are we would've met anyway around this time. Did your school have any trips or anything planned?"

Lucy wasn't sure what that had to do with anything, but if it could get him to give her a straight answer, she would oblige for now "Um… We were going on a school trip sometime soon, to another country…"

"Alverez." Natsu answered for her, telling her that's probably where he was from "These shadows are after you because it's close to the time you awaken, and they know you're dangerous to them." Before Lucy could properly form a response, Natsu had gripped her wrist, pulling her with him. She also noticed his hand had gone back to normal.

"We need to get you somewhere safe, before I can tell you anything else, or else you'll just be putting everyone else in danger" He continued, his firm grip not letting her pull away.

Lucy sighed, relenting, figuring she couldn't very well let innocents get hurt because of her, and started following her.

"Fine, where are we going then?"

"Isn't obvious? To Alverez"


	3. Fire God Festival

The train ride probably could've gone better, Lucy thought. She wouldn't have guessed someone who was practically half-lizard would get super bad motion sickness.

Said half-lizard was currently hunched over in his seat, groaning in pain, which hit with every rattle of the train. The sight was amusing, but there was a part deep down in her that made her want to reach out to him, and run her fingers through his hair.

Lucy promptly told this part of her to shut up.

Natsu made a small whining noise and curled up into a ball in the seat next to her, and Lucy couldn't help but notice how different his features were from when they had first met. Instead of being all rough posture and sharp, heated, gazes, he was now like a little ball of cuteness and pain.

The image was truly adorable.

His eyes snapped open as they arrived at their first stop, on their way to Alverez. A port town called Hargeon.

* * *

Natsu felt half dead after that gruesome train ride, and prayed to the heavens that he would never have to ride one again. But lucky, or unlucky, for him, the next ride wasn't a train…

It was a boat. Which was still bad. Maybe worse.

But he supposed he had some luck in all of this mess, however small it may be.

"What?! The next boat doesn't leave for another three days?!" His blonde comrade cried, aghast.

Natsu couldn't help the smile of victory that adorned his lips, giving a small fist pump to the air happily, but immediately stopped his celebration as Lucy turned and shot a sharp glare at him, making him step back nervously.

"Well," The boat guy started, winding up some rope over his arm "Take the time to enjoy the scenery, and the annual fire festival is tomorrow night"

Natsu practically shoved Lucy aside, eyes alight with sheer joy "Did you say fire?!" He asked excitedly. Lucy rolled his eyes at him, but he chose to ignore the motion.

"Well yeah, every year, on the first day of summer, we celebrate when the fire god, Igneel, descended from the heavens to give us fire. The gods immense heat also is what caused what we know as summer" The man explained joyfully.

Natsu felt his heart warm up at that. He knew Lucy probably didn't understand, not yet anyway, but hearing that this town celebrated them made him absolutely elighted.

"You guys sure are heavy on myths, huh.." Lucy noted, her tone hiding an underlying ' _this is the most bullshit thing I've ever heard'_ , making Natsu frown.

He crossed his arms over his chest firmly, looking Lucy in the eyes "After all you've seen you don't believe myths?" He asked incredulously, raising a thin brow in her direction.

Lucy pursed her lips in thought, clasping her hands behind her back "Are you telling me it DID happen?" He finally asked.

This girl… The whole trip she had been trying to yank full answers from him, but she didn't seem to understand he couldn't tell her. He had been trying to act as oblivious as possible, and Lucy was not making it easy, no sir.

Natsu tsked, turning to head back to town, maybe find a place to stay "I'm saying, not everything is what it seems." He said, hoping he didn't say too much. If they found out… It would endanger his life, and hers.

* * *

Lucy couldn't believe how much Natsu's eyes lit up at all the fire. If there was a perfect living description of "pyromaniac", it would be Natsu, that much was for certain.

She wasn't quite put her finger on the emotion he might be feeling, but found herself smiling as he marveled at the fire-themed souvenirs, and cursing his empty wallet at the prospect of being unable to buy some.

Somehow, seeing him like this made her heart warm from the inside out with fondness. Some would say he was most attractive while in the midst of saving her life. It was a classic trope used in most action-romances novels. But Lucy found herself being lured more to him by the quirky things he did.

She had noticed that whenever he woke up, he would yawn and ruffle his hair. Whenever his hair was wet, instead of drying it with a towel, he would shake his head like a dog. He has a tendency to hug things in his sleep, and it was all these little things that somehow made fondness spiral throughout her body.

Lucy couldn't pinpoint why exactly, she felt this way, and could only think back to what Natsu had said before;

" _We are, we just haven't met yet"_

Maybe those words weren't as cryptic as she thought? Maybe she just needed to think about it in a different way?

Her train of thought was cut off as they reached the center of town, where a giant bonfire was, with a bunch of people, men, women, and children alike, dancing, talking, and laughing around it. The entire scene felt warm, and not just from the fire.

It sounded strange, but the atmosphere reminded her of Natsu. Lucy thought of the story that man had told her, as she watched Natsu being pulled by his scarf into the chaos by a drunk brunette, making him join in the dancing.

Lucy faintly wondered , as she watched Natsu dance happily, all rumbling laugh and warm smiles, was this what the "fire god" was like?

She never got to finish her train of thought as Natsu grabbed her arm, pulling her into the crowd to dance as well, and right now, with the bright smile on his face that rivaled the fire, she couldn't possibly say no.

((LINE CUT))

More than Natsu liked to admit, the vibe of the festival really got to him. It wasn't too much of a surprise, he always fed off of jolly atmospheres, and in those moments, as he danced with Lucy, her blonde hair that framed her delicate face fanning around her body, he had actually forgotten why they were there.

It wasn't the first it had happened, honestly, just the first it happened in this life. Many times before had he been drawn in by things such as parties, and festivals, that he completely lost himself in it, and others did too, and he would just start to blend into the background.

Once before he had been stuck in a similar limbo, back when parties used to last for weeks, and it wasn't until Lucy found him had he realized what he had done. It was a dangerous thing being so closely associated with fire.

Natsu blinked rapidly as the crowds dispersed from the streets, the fire dying out, and the sun rising in the distance.

All at once he felt exhaustion hit him, and he quickly scanned the area for Lucy, panicking as he saw no trace of her. He normally would've sniffed her out, but he felt his own fire burning so dimly, that his senses were dulled immensely.

Groaning, Natsu trudged forward, ignoring the stares he had gotten from people as he walked by like he had a serious hangover.

"Luuuucyyyy…" He called, stopping briefly to lean against a wall, trying to keep his eyes from closing on him.

" _Natsu?"_ A feminine voice called, making Natsu's head jerk in that direction, and saw a vague blur walk towards him.

Natsu sighed in relief, moving to head towards her "Lu-" He stopped himself as he realized the person now wrapping their arms around him wasn't who he wanted "You aren't Lucy." he said, hoping he didn't sound as weak as he felt.

" _Shh… I'm going to take care of you…"_

It was the last he heard before he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Lucy had retired to their hotel room sometime after midnight, telling Natsu to join her when he was ready.

She slipped out of bed and started about her daily routine, taking a shower, brushing her teeth, eating breakfast, the works. But she frowned as she noticed Natsu's absence throughout the entire day.

' _He's probably sleeping in again'_ The blonde decided, and walked to his room, her frown growing deeper as she saw no signs of him.

"Did he never come home?" She asked herself, worry now coursing through her, and she pulled out her phone, now grateful Natsu had forced her to add his number to her contacts list, and quickly called him.

The phone rang for an agonizingly long time, before he answered, making Lucy sigh in relief "Thank god, I was so worried… Where on Earth are-"

"Go back home, Lucy." He cut her off, before the line went dead, leaving Lucy to stare at her phone screen in shock. But something kept nagging her as she thought about what he had said.

Whoever it was that told her that, _it wasn't Natsu._


	4. Where's The Crime?

Admittedly, it had taken Lucy close to 30 minutes to find the smoldering skid marks that led to a, surprisingly, normal looking house. The only signs of a struggle was, what looked like, Natsu being dragged away.

Which told her even more something was wrong, because Natsu would never let himself be taken without a fight.

The blonde bit her lip as she tried the doorknob, eyes widening to find it unlocked. Was this kidnapper wanting her to find them? Or were they expecting her to run away that easily?

She slowly stepped in, the place surprisingly neat, and walked through the hall, determined to get to the bottom of this. And she found her answer when she turned a corner and gasped, seeing Natsu sitting on the couch, arms thrown over the back coolly, his dark eyes giving her a once-over.

But something wasn't right...

His posture was more rigid, his eyes colder... Lucy's senses screamed at her to run, but didn't move, his dark gaze cementing her in place.

"Lucy... How did I know you would still come to find me...?" He murmured, voice softer than his eyes as he stood, approaching her. Lucy also found that she couldn't make her voice work, which terrified her. "Always so brave in the face of danger, no matter how many times it hurts you in the end..." Natsu continued, hand reaching her jaw, making her look up at him.

What was he even talking about? She'd never done anything remotely brave in her life!

"It's such a shame your fate is so..." He paused, lips curling into a smirk " _twisted_ "

 **"But that's why I'm here!"**

Natsu jumped back, and both him and Lucy looked up to see... Natsu? Two Natsu's? This was either a really weird dream, or Lucy was tripping right now.

The new, and most likely real, Natsu was wearing different clothing from before, and instead of jeans and a T-shirt, he was wearing something that didn't looked like it belonged in the country or era.

He was wearing an outfit that consisted of a robe-like top with only one sleeve, a sash around his waist, and scarf around his neck, loose white pants and sandals.

Well, Lucy certainly couldn't say it didn't look good on him. In fact, it kinda looked better on him than his previous, normal outfit.

 _"So you admit to your crime?"_ The false-Natsu hissed, before it's form melted away, before Lucy was staring at a mirror image of herself.

Natsu looked both panicked and enraged as he ran over, punching the other Lucy square in the face. "IT'S NOT A CRIME TO LOVE SOMEONE!" He yelled almost desperately, and the way he said it, so full of emotion, made her heart wrench in her chest.

Fake-Lucy's skin melted away again, into some kind of formless being, which resembled a shadow. _"HOW CAN YOU LOVE SOMEONE YOU AREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!"_ The creature screeched, and lunged. But not towards Natsu.

Lucy gasped, stumbling back as it descended upon her, but before it's claws could make contact, Natsu was there, guarding her as it's hand raked through his chest like a set of sharpened knives.

He yelled out in pain, panting hard, and shaking his head like his was trying to keep himself conscious, before a flame ignited at his feet.

"I don't give a damn what I should and shouldn't know!" he cried, bangs shadowing his eyes "I came here for a _reason_!"

Lucy watched in awe as she saw his nails turn sharper, as his hands morphed into dragon-like claws, and before she knew it a tail was also hanging behind him. Despite the weird occurrences of today, she couldn't help but wonder what the reason was for all this... What was the _real_ reason he sought her out?

More importantly, how did he know her?

Natsu's head snapped up, his glare alone enough to ignite his opponent "I don't care what the rules say and I don't give a damn about fate!" He bellowed, striking out "I will..." he panted as the whole place was set on fire.

His hand pounded over his heart with a faint _'thump'_ " _ **Deny this twisted fate.**_ "

* * *

Natsu had passed out again shortly after that skirmish, but within another few hours, he was finally awake, in time to be able to get ready for their boat which was departing soon, of course, giving Lucy plenty of time to hound him with a million questions.

"What was that thing and what was it talking about?" She demanded, as he packed his bag, a tick of annoyance forming on his forehead, as she peered over his shoulder curiously "And where did you get that outfit?"

Natsu sighed in exasperation, closing the bag "That thing was a 'mimic', a type of shadow, and higher-class one than what we've seen before. It was talking about me, and that's all you need to know. And I always dress like this, I just changed it up for this country." He listed off, irritably.

Lucy stared at his back as they walked down the street in silence, and he knew, since it felt like his back was on fire.

They had just reached the dock when he felt her grab his scarf, making him blink in confusion as he turned to face her, surprised to see the faintest of blushes on her cheeks.

"Who is it you love then?" She asked, twirling her hair around her finger cutely.

He couldn't help but smile as she reminded me of all the reasons why he loved her so darn much.

"Idiot…" He breathed out, making her look up in shock as Natsu smiled softly, turning to board the ship "Isn't it obvious…?"

" _You're the only one I could ever possibly love."_


	5. Worth the Fight

Lucy wasn't sure if she felt elated or pissed.

Ever since Natsu's bold confession, she had been an absolute mess, and had been unable to sleep the entire three day voyage, always spending her nights romanticizing the pink haired man. Her brain seriously needed a break.

Natsu had thankfully managed to find some meds for his motion sickness, but it could also be a bad thing, as he was coherent enough now to point out the fact she looks like she hasn't slept for two days. Which she hadn't.

He had been rather to himself throughout the whole trip, and almost seemed like he was avoiding her. But it was probably because whenever he was around her, Lucy couldn't stop herself from asking another question about why he was there.

Of course, he refused to disclose any information, and told her that if she insisted on knowing anything, she'd have to show him she could protect herself, and use her magic.

And that's where Lucy was now, standing on the deck of the ship, trying to 'magic' a penny, even if she had no clue what she was doing. How did Natsu do this so easily? And what was magic even supposed to look like? Was she supposed to set herself on fire as well?

"Why are you glaring at a penny?" Natsu's unique tone of cocky/sarcastic sounded from a lounge chair from behind her. He had a leg propped up, and arms folded behind his head, and his shirt not tucked in his belt, leaving it open to his chest. And Lucy swore he had gotten darker.

Lucy huffed lightly, turning to face the man fully, placing a hand on her hip "I'm _trying_ to figure out how to use stupid magic! I don't even know what I'm doing!" she cried in frustration, throwing the bronze coin at Natsu's face.

Natsu caught the penny between two fingers, before it melted into a puddle on the wood floor "You mean like that?" he teased, smirking as Lucy glared more.

"I don't even know how to do 'that'" She bit out, walking over to sit on the chair beside him "Seriously, what am I doing..."

The chair creaked as Natsu sat up fully to look at her, as if debating if he should help her, before he pushed himself up.

"Your magic will reveal who you are on the inside, Lucy, just think about you, and you should figure it out" He finally said, walking away.

"Like how you turn into a lizard?" Lucy asked, smiling as he stilled, shoulders straightening before he turned on his heel, marching up to her.

"Excuse you, but it's not a lizard, it is a _**dragon**_. Do you think _this_ -" His body changed, skin turning deep red as scales covered his arms and legs first, before spreading up to his torso and eventually to his jaw and face, his fangs growing sharper, tail snaking around behind him, and two flames that looked like horns dancing in his hair "-look like a _**lizard**_ to you?!" He growled deeply, clenching his clawed hands.

Lucy gasped lightly, staring in shock for awhile, before a thought crossed her mind "W-Wait, can you turn into an _actual_ dragon?" she stammered.

Natsu let out a huff of smoke "Well duh. But if I did that here the ship would sink." he growled out, as his skin returned to normal.

Silence, blanketed by awe, washed between them, and Lucy imagined him turning into a full sized dragon, and making the whole ship go under. But he didn't deny her question before, meaning... did she have another form that she didn't know about?

"If you ever get stuck, Lucy..." Natsu started, apparently seeing the worry on her face. His hand was outstretched to touch her, but he froze, expression tightening "Just look to the skies, as you always have..." he finished, turning and shoving his hands in his pockets.

* * *

Natsu couldn't place his finger on it, but he felt a hell of a lot more nervous recently, and being stuck on his worst nightmare, even with the medicine, didn't help one bit. He was more on edge of the fact that they _knew_ he knew. They already came for him once... And was his presence only putting Lucy in more danger?

He felt a chill run down his spin at the thought. The only way to make sure she was 100% safe was for her to learn magic!

... Sadly she didn't seem to have the knack. Well, not yet, Lucy always had the knack. She always bold, beautiful, powerful, kind...

"What's with the weird look? We're here!" A voice cut through his thoughts, and he was face to face with the girl he had just been daydreaming about.

"Lucy..." He said quietly, and she merely raised a brow, before hefting up her bag and going to exit the ship. Natsu sighed softly, following after her, unable to keep himself from staring.

It and brought absolute chaos on his heart, knowing how many times he had lost this girl, while at the same time remembering all the kisses, loving touches, hand holding, smiles, caring gazes, heated nights (when they were lucky enough to make it that far), and so so much more.

His hands clenched and unclenched, his emotions threatening to take control again. Lucy had been speaking, talking about the island they had stopped at, and the star mangoes which were popular here, but Natsu had directed all his attention to just not breaking down. He had to remain firm if he wished to protect her.

Natsu had to put away all these human emotions, if he wished to make a difference.

* * *

"Natsu... You've been staring out that window for awhile" Lucy pointed out. He had been sitting there watching the rain hit the glass for the past hour, not uttering a word. Not even making fun of her for failing at using magic again.

"hm?" Was all he said, raising his head to look at her fully "Do what?"

Lucy looked at him like he had grown a second head. This was probably strange behavior in her book, but he had quickly turned his head to look out the window again. Just looking at her was making his heart ache painfully, and he couldn't stand much more of this.

Something brushed up beside him, and he realized Lucy had taken a seat next to him, making him clench his teeth. Why did his mind decide to show him all these pleasant memories _now_? Couldn't it wait until later?

"You look so sad... What's wrong...?" Lucy's soft voice called to him, and he had to fight against smashing his head through the window in frustration "Natsu, please, you've saved me so many times, just talk to me-"

"Stop talking." He interrupted quickly. Was is just him or was the room shaking? Ah, yeah it was just him, fighting back the emotions of nearly 2,000 years. Wasn't life wonderful?

"Natsu, you're crying..."

Natsu froze, eyes widening as he realized she was right, and he felt wetness trailing down his cheeks. Slowly, he raised a hand, quickly wiping it away, sniffing lightly, as he noticed the rain clearing up, revealing the night sky, stars pulsing as if they were Lucy's own heart beat, which was probably closer to the truth than he liked to admit.

Was this woman of the galaxies be forever beyond his reach?

"I just really..." He started, trying to pick his words carefully "... Miss her"

Lucy looked confused, and Natsu groaned, ruffling his hair as he searched for words. "You, I mean, it's just... If I say anything it'll bad dangerous... Because I'm not supposed to know you but I _do_ and damnit someone shut me up!" He ground out, lowering his face into his palms in anguish.

The girl beside him looked concerned, but didn't seem to know quite what to say "Natsu, just tell me what's-"

They were interrupted by a scream from the streets below, making the pair jump up as a crowd rushed by, closely followed by a group of shadows, taking the form of a small gang to the onlooking people.

"No time to explain." Natsu said, rushing out to stop the problem, and avoid anymore questions.

* * *

Lucy knew he was using this as an excuse to dash, but she couldn't argue with him at this point, since the safety of the public took priority over her questions, sadly. Her mind was racing, but this had to be done.

Of course though, her luck had to be awful, as Natsu was too fast, and she had lost him in a matter of seconds, and before she knew it she was standing in town square, completely alone.

"Natsu, you idiot!" She cried in frustration, kicking a fruit stand.

 _"The flame god won't help you now..."_ a voice hissed, and Lucy spun around, seeing... Natsu? No, this was another mimic. What did these guys want with her? And did it say 'flame god' just now?! Wasn't that a bit of a stretch?!

"What did you do with Natsu?" Lucy hissed, backing away from Natsu's advancing figure, who was smirking cruelly "And why bother taking on his appearence?!"

 _"Isn't it much more entertaining to take on the form of your lover when I kill you slowly...?"_ It felt so wrong hearing that in Natsu's warm, upbeat tone.

Lucy felt her heart race at the mention of love, but swallowed hard, back hitting a wall. Shit, she was out of options.

 _"What's the matter? Do you want me to make you feel whole again one last time, before I end you again, my queen?"_ It asked, cocking it's head like it had just said something cute. Fuckin' shadowy bastard.

But Lucy suddenly had multiple images (no, a memory?) flash through her mind, of her and Natsu together, sometimes doing simple things, like walking and shopping, sometimes fighting together, sometimes doing more... Risque... Things. All of these things seemed to transcend time.

But the thing which was burned into her mind was her, sitting on a bed, wearing a robe (sadly, nothing underneath it.) and Natsu in front of her, with her right hand pressed to his lips. She could clearly hear the words he spoke;

 _"Anything else, my queen?"_

Lucy didn't even realize how much closer the fake Natsu had gotten until it was practically right in front of her.

 _"Ah, but you don't remember do you? Because you were a good girl, and didn't break the rules... Fate isn't happy with him, you know"_ Even though it was right in front of her, it kept talking. Did it just want her to feel horrible before it killed her? And where was Natsu?

 _"Would you like to see us rip him apart for trying to defy us?"_ Lucy wanted to tell it to shut up, but right now her mind was being assaulted by mental images that she couldn't erase , no matter how hard she tried. _"Watch us destroy the man who has witnessed his love die before him so many countless times... I suppose maybe adding one more to that count would hurt him more..."_

She couldn't take anymore. Emotionally or physically. She clenched her fist, and felt it close around something. Whatever it was she hoped it was sharp, and she struck out, sending the mimic flying into the wall.

But to her surprise, her weapon wasn't sharp. She was holding a luminescent whip of golden and blue colors, which shone brightly in the dark alleyway.

Gritting her teeth, Lucy lashed out again, the mysterious whip reacting to her will, as she struck her foe over and over, feeling tears well in her eyes as more forgotten memories flooded her.

But they were all of him... Of him smiling so brightly, eyes shining with the purest affection, and caring for her in a way no one has before. And Lucy hit harder as his face slowly turned sadder, until she was met with Natsu in a state she never wanted to see him; Kneeling on the ground, struggling to keep up right, horror painted on his face as so many tears ran down his cheeks that the lines might stay there forever.

She never wanted him to be that sad. She wanted them to be happy together. Why couldn't they just be happy?

"Don't! You! Ever! Try! To! Hurt! My! Stupid! Lizard! Again!" She yelled as loud as she could muster, gasping as something caught her whip, eyes widening to see it wrapped around Natsu's, the real Natsu's, forearm. His eyes hard, but not harsh or cold.

"Lucy..." He muttered, and she blushed, realizing the mimic was long dead.

"I-I'm sorry, I just-" She gasped again, a pull on her whip making her lose balance, and she fell into Natsu's arms, and not only that...

When did his lips get on hers? And why could she not bring herself to pull away?

Probably because of the unbelievable warmth that was currently spiraling throughout her entire body like a case of deja vu, but this was a good kind. A nice, warm, good kind.

 _'Natsu... I missed this...'_


	6. Who Am I?

I am Natsu Dragneel. I am a reincarnation of the flame god, Igneel, a form taken on so that I may exist on Earth properly, and protect humans.

My partner and lover, Lucy Heartfilia, is a reincarnation of the goddess of the universe, Anna.

We are different beings, but at the same time, we're the same as the gods we came from. And to maintain human bodies, we cannot access our true godly forms, and any attempt to do so will lead to certain death.

But because we stand above mortals, we are constantly reincarnated in our human bodies over time, our previous lives being wiped from memory each time, so we won't interfere with the flow of life, and fate.

Forever cursed to rise from our ashes like a phoenix every 100 years, to seal up the king of shadows, Acnologia.

Forever cursed to watch the love of my life die in my arms, and unable to prevent it.

But this time I have retained my memories from the past. 2,000 years of knowledge has been ingrained into my very being. 2,000 years of love, joy, and pain, which continues to haunt my nightmares, even still.

This time I am have the upper hand on fate, and I won't let it take my Lucy from me once more. I won't give the shadows a chance to rise, for this time, I'll destroy them, and scorch them with the years of pain this body has withheld.

I shall deny this fate, even at the cost of my life.

* * *

"W-Wait... I need a second... To process..." Lucy panted out finally. Really, Natsu had awful timing, to explain a bunch of important things while simultaneously kissing the daylights out of her. Not that kissing wasn't nice, she would just prefer not multi-tasking quite to this extent.

After a minute of staring down at the mildly annoyed guy she was sitting on (She's not sure when that happened but ok) as she thought about all he had said just said. Sure she remembered definitely spending a lot of time with him, but that was about it... Her being the incarnation if a _god?_ That was just crazy!

But then again, there were plenty of crazy things that had happened in the past few days... Honestly her head hurt so much she was about ready to just kiss him again, and forget it all... But questions still arose in her mind, threatening to eat her alive if she didn't sort everything out now.

"So... You came here to... Save me...?" Lucy asked finally, as she began wrapping her head around it "And we've been lovers close to two thousand times before... So... Have we...?" god this was such an awkward situation.

Natsu raised a brow, lifting himself on his elbows "Well, we have definitely made out numerous times before, gone on plenty of dates, we were also royalty a couple of times, and married loads, and did everything a couple could possibly do. So if you're asking about what I think you are... Then yes. Lots. We're old as fuck Luce, whattya expect?" he stated bluntly, smirked as Lucy's face turned cherry red.

Well he wasn't one to pull punches she supposed.

Sighing, Lucy rolled off him to lay in the bed "So I have magic powers huh..." She murmured more to herself.

Natsu glanced at her from the corner of his eye, before smiling and averting his gaze back to the ceiling "Just get some sleep." He said, sitting up and pushing himself off the bed they had been laying on. "We arrive in Alverez tomorrow, and that's when things start getting serious... You'll need the energy" and with that he quietly exited the room, leaving Lucy there alone to process the situation. She didn't think she would even be able to sleep, but her body ended up being so exhausted, she found herself succumbing to sleep sooner than she thought.

* * *

"WOW THIS PLACE IS HUGE!"

That was the first thing Lucy said as they (finally) got off at the Alverez port. Natsu had grew up here, so it was nothing new, but he supposed to Lucy, who had been previously living in Magnolia, it was quite a big deal.

Natsu shook his head, smiling as Lucy ran along the dock, but they both stopped dead at the figure waiting for them.

"Z-Zeref..." Natsu managed, trying for a smile, but faltered as his brother's glare hardened, making Natsu shrink back, and swallow the lump that was now forming in his throat "H-How are yo-"

"Don't start with this 'how are you' shit, Natsu!" The older male snapped, and Natsu flinched "You disappear on your birthday, without even so much as a note, are gone without a trace for a whole month, not even so much as a phone call! Do you realize how scared I was?! Natsu Dragneel I will personally roast you over an open flame in tribute to the stars!"

Lucy and Natsu went silent at the outburst, as the aura Zeref was giving off made it feel like your soul would be sucked out of your body at any given moment. He briefly glanced at Lucy, and his gaze sharpened, but he said nothing as he grabbed Natsu, dragging him away.

* * *

Lucy was at a loss of what to do after Natsu was pulled away. She had no clue about anything about this country, and something about the way Zeref had looked at her gave her chills.

Deciding her best bet was to follow after them, that was exactly what she did. Lucy figured she would just sit in the living room of what she assumed was their house, as the two males left to go argue, which could be heard throughout the entire building.

It wasn't until Lucy could see the sun start to set that the two returned, Natsu's clothing looking a tad more rumpled than before. Zeref paused in front of her, looking like he wanted to say something, but instead just left with a flourish of his robes.

"Ok, first things first you need to learn more about your power." Natsu explained as if nothing had happened before "There's a girl who can probably help you, and I'll send her over, but I have to... Take care of some things..."

The look on Natsu's face looked almost confused, but she just nodded in response "Yeah, alright... Will you be ok?" Lucy asked softly, not sure if she should trust his expression right now.

Natsu remained silent for a moment, before he just smiled and shrugged "Who knows?" was all he said before leaving Lucy alone in the house. The house was a simple one, with not much else other than the basics, and Lucy decided she might as well explore the building.

Most of the rooms shared the same aesthetic as the living room, mostly black and white, and very tidy. But there was one room that was a huge deviant from that, which she could only assume was Natsu's room.

The walls were a deep red, with splashes of other paints on it, and there were about 20 canvases, some painted on and some empty leaning on walls and scattered on the floor.

Lucy kneeled by some of the paintings, looking at each one carefully. One was a burning city, another was of a huge black and blue dragon, towering over two much smaller figures. As she scanned the paintings she realised, they weren't just paintings, these were scenes. Natsu had subconsciously known everything from the start, which was made obvious as a majority of the paintings were of her, each one looking like she was from a different era (and she probably was).

Most would've probably found it creepy, but she found it more sad than anything. Sad that he had endured this for so long, alone... And she felt the back of her mind burn with familiarity, as if these paintings were resonating with dormant memories inside her.

Standing, Lucy was suddenly filled with a new kind of resolve.

She had always thought she was doing the right thing by risking her life for Natsu... But the pain of the survivor is worse than the pain of those passed... This entire time she had been taking the easy way out while putting thousands of years of suffering on Natsu, unknowingly.

Lucy wouldn't make the same mistake. She had to change her own fate as well.


	7. Same Eyes, A New You

Lucy had honestly never been one partial to astronomy. And to be honest even now she found it a little boring, but she was intrigued by the images of the galaxy Yukino had been showing her.

Natsu had sent the silver-haired girl to teach her all about space, saying that was going to be her training until she remembered more. All the while, Natsu was always leaving it seemed. He would just say "I have something to look into" before disappearing, leaving Lucy to her studies.

He would show up sometime at night and sneak in bed with her though, holding her protectively throughout the night, as if she might disappear any second. But considering their past, it was more likely than she would have liked to admit.

"So then, what kind of star is this, Ms. Lucy?" Yukino asked suddenly, breaking Lucy out of her reverie, the blonde girl blinked dumbly, having spaced out through that entire lecture she was being given, and flushing in embarrassment.

"I... uh..."

Yukino sighed, before giving a kind smile "Do I need to review" she asked. But before Lucy could answer a sharp laugh broke through the small clearing the girls were sitting in.

Lucy raised her head and her eyes widened at seeing the familiar pink-haired man laying across a branch in a tree, like he seemed to like doing.

"Wow, queen, your knowledge on space is failing you?" Natsu asked, snickering as he slid down from the branch.

Lucy didn't know why, but the way he called her "queen" seemed to rub her wrong. In a way, it made her sad... but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Don't worry, you'll get it down, you're just not fully caught up yet" Natsu explained, crossing his arms as he referred to her memory, walking up to her "I have faith in you."

Lucy stared at him, but something about his eyes... it didn't feel like he was looking at her.

((LINE CUT))

Natsu was getting annoyed now. Albeit, seeing Lucy made him feel a bit better, he just couldn't wait for her to remember, and was beginning to get a little impatient. But now, he had to focus on the current problem.

It would be a bit weird to admit to Lucy he had been stalking his brother for the past few weeks. He had noticed the abnormal, sidelong glances he had been giving him and Lucy since he got back, and whenever he saw it, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

Zeref knew something, and he was gonna find out what.

It just really sucked that his brother had to be so damned boring. Every day was a routine, and everyday it was boring. Why couldn't Zeref be spontaneous for once? If Natsu was gonna follow him around, he could at least give him something interesting to look at.

Even now, the whole day had passed, and Zeref was just strolling home, nothing abnormal at all about the whole day.

Natsu sighed, walking into the small house, and kicking off his shoes, trekking up to his room as usual. And of course, he softened upon seeing Lucy lying in the bed, breathing softly.

He laid down in the bed by her, watching her carefully, and drinking in her features. Still the same Lucy he remembered. Same delicate features, pale skin, golden hair, and chocolate eyes. Everything was the same.

Natsu was caught off guard by Lucy suddenly opening her eyes, and jumped a bit as she did "You're awake..." he noted, speaking softly, smiling a bit "You should rest"

Lucy shrugged, smiling back "Well, I'm awake now so don't worry about it..." she mumbled.

The two lay there in comfortable silence, just watching each other, until Natsu saw a weird look flash across Lucy's features, which worried Natsu slightly.

"Lucy, what's wrong...?" He asked softly, and Lucy averted her eyes.

"It's just... I've been thinking... You say how much you love me... But it feels like you're more in love with the past me's.." The blonde started nervously playing with her fingers "It... Doesn't feel like you look at me... When you look at me... If that makes sense..."

He never really thought of it like that before. And honestly he had never seen a difference, but now he felt like slapping himself. Sure she would always be the same Lucy, but she was still a different person, and he had failed to see that.

"Lucy, I'm... Oh god..." Natsu said in horror, "I never meant to..."

Lucy smiled sadly, placing a hand on his shoulder "It's ok... We didn't get a chance to do fall in love properly... So let's focus on fixing this fate for now, ok?" she suggested, and Natsu sighed softly.

Yeah, she was still Lucy.

And like always, it made Natsu feel like he wasn't kind enough. In the end he was really such a selfish person, only caring about her and her safety. But one couldn't help but harden after all these years. And he just hoped in the end, that he could make the right choice...

((LINE CUT))

The moon's shine filtered through the trees softly, the only sound to be heard was the rustle of leaves, and the sound of grass underfoot.

It was these nights he wished he didn't have to be out like this, and maybe just sit by the shore, watching the waves gently be pushed against the shore. Alverez had always had nice beaches. It was a shame he couldn't visit more often.

No, there was more important business to attend to.

The terrain slowly shifted, changing from forest to cave. The young man stepped inside, not fazed by the looming darkness around him as he entered.

 _"Zeref."_ A rumbling voice from deeper in the cave growled _"Were you followed?"_

"No," Zeref answered calmly "I wasn't"

 _"Acnologia._ "


	8. What Lurks in Your Heart

Natsu wasn't sure what it was, but he felt a shift in him since that night with Lucy, and he couldn't really pinpoint if it was a good or bad one. His body felt heavier, and he was so tired, that he couldn't even keep tabs on Zeref anymore. He always ended up falling asleep in a tree somewhere.

He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep this time, until an apple was thrown at his head, making him snap awake and fall from the branch and onto the dirt ground in front of the thrower of said apple.

Of course, it was none other than Lucy Heartfilia.

"I haven't seen you in awhile, why don't you eat lunch with me?" she asked, taking a seat by him, as he dusted himself.

Natsu could feel his heart seize up in his chest, elated that Lucy wanted to be with him, despite everything. "O-Okay..." was all he could manage, as he settled next to her.

"So... I was learning about the myths of the gods today..." Lucy started, taking a bite out of her sandwich, and Natsu felt his heart drop once more at her tone, but remained silent, and listened "So Igneel is the god that made the Earth, right?"

Natsu nodded in affirmation "Yes... and Anna is the goddess that breathed life onto it." he continued for her "It was a team effort from both of them..."

"But while Anna had fallen in love with her creation, Igneel preferred the nature" Lucy added, confusing Natsu. He had never heard that before, but was that how it was? Well it didn't sound surprising in any case. Lucy always loved being around people, while Natsu had always tried to escape, and be alone.

"Anna was the one who originally gave up her god-like form and power, to be reborn on Earth as one of her beloved humans, giving up her identity to become another... Igneel followed after, unwilling to lose his love, and his closest friend to such a curse." Lucy continued, before looking at Natsu, making him flinch at her seriousness "Before, we would always find each other, and fall in love on our own accord... but this is different, isn't it? You remembered every single past life we had together..."

Natsu was shocked, but wet his lips, before giving an answer "Well, yeah, but... how does that change anything?"

Lucy looked down at the grass between them, plucking at the blades "Natsu... what did you do in your last life that might have changed how this life turned out? Something that was different from the others?"

A brief span of silence passed between them, as Natsu thought about it, until he suddenly realized "I killed myself. To get to my next life and save you." he said, and Lucy winced

"Natsu... I feel like the way you're going..." Lucy paused, as if trying to find the words to express it "I don't mind fighting fate and destiny, but I don't want the world to perish in the process. I feel like you're considering... Unthinkable things... Out of desperation"

More silence.

Natsu didn't know what to say to that, and after about 10 minutes, Lucy stood, and placed a soft kiss on the top of his head "I'll fight to stay alive, but in return don't let despair consume you." and at that, Lucy left, leaving him alone in the small forest clearing.

He soon felt his heart start to race, and he couldn't help the small, helpless smile that made it's way onto his face, as he realized now what his shift was.

His despair, his sadness, his helplessness, and his desperation...

All of this was the start of a slow descent into shadow. And the dark pattern swirling up his left arm was all the confirmation he needed.

* * *

To say hiding mysterious patterns on your arm was hard was putting it simply. Thankfully he had a sleeve covering his left arm most of the time, but Natsu typically preferred sleeping shirtless, because he found wearing one way too stuffy for his tastes.

But now he had to, of course, because of God knows why. Really, what were these patterns on his arm? What did they mean for him? He could only guess it was an outer reflection of his judgements towards the Earth, and the humans on it. The darkness inside him.

What probably was the most upsetting about it was that Lucy was RIGHT. He was the one who kept all his previous incarnations memories, so how was Lucy more perceptive to these things?

"Well, she's always been the smart one…" Natsu muttered to himself absent mindedly, as he traversed through the dense forests. He wasn't sure quite why he was here, but he needed a breather, and this seemed like the best place to go for that.

"Why is it always me…" A sigh escaped his mouth, as he sat on the forest floor "I'm just… so selfish…"

Natsu blinked slowly as a dark cloud passed overhead, starting to hear voices, whispering and prodding at him. Dark voices and thoughts which never even crossed his mind before.

' _Fire is a selfish existence…'_

' _It can't exist without taking the life of another…'_

' _your very being is made up of this…'_

' _The darkness won't deny you…'_

' _We will comfort you…'_

' _Natsu Dragneel…'_

' _Dear brother…'_

* * *

Lucy frowned, looking outside the bedroom window. Dark storm clouds were brewing over the town, sharp thunder already clapping in the distance.

"This storm sure came out of nowhere…" Lucy commented to Yukino, who was forced to flee inside with her. The two girls flinched at more lightening, as rain started to pour "And Natsu is still nowhere to be found… Where on Earth is he in this weather?"

Yukino's expression tightened, staring intently over the forest. "Miss Lucy…" She started, putting her hand on her shoulder "Something about this storm isn't right…"

Lucy hated to admit it, but she was feeling the same. She got the same feeling in her gut when she was fighting that shadow before… And the fact Natsu was still gone didn't bode well to this fact.

' _Natsu… Just hurry back…'_


End file.
